Back to West Michigan Day 4 & 5: Family Fun & Michigan Adventure!

So this describes family: all sitting around the table trying to make plans for the week juggling a bunch of different schedules.  A discussion that supposedly was going to be quick but lasted well over an hour.  Oh well...some laughs were exchanged along the way.  I was talking to Rob in India via Facebook messenger at the same time.  This was last night (Sunday night).  Let me back up a bit...

We started our day by attending Encounter Church, the Christian Reformed church plant (that has endured some awesome growth and development) that my sister and her family attend in Kentwood.  I remember attending the church when it met in a little school gym.  I really enjoyed the pastor's message.  I have listened to his podcasts in the past.

 

In the afternoon we broke out the guitars, microphones, and drum sticks and tried guitar hero.  I don't play this very often so I am not very good.  We really tried and only got "booed" off the stage a couple of times.

My parents stopped by.  They were in Chicago most of the weekend so we did not see them until Sunday afternoon.  We walked over to my sister's neighbor pool.  It serves as a community pool for several of the neighbors in the summer.  They have an open invitation to come swim or jump on the trampoline.  The home owners were camping but arrived home around the time we were leaving.

For some reason my three kids plus my niece and nephew made it their mission to push my brother-in-law and sister's friend Jason into the pool.  I also knew Jason back when I was at Calvin as we lived in the same dorm.  Anyway they were unsuccessful and he had no problem chucking children one by one back into the pool.

It was fun riding around on inflatable animals and diving off the diving board.

We have loved the weather here this week.  Not massive amounts of heat, little rain, a little humidity but not a crazy amount.  I think Michigan weather is even more unpredictable than Oregon and I am glad it worked in our favor the last few days.

The kids also enjoyed riding the bikes and scooters.  It is a little easier for them to ride around the neighborhood here.  Our street back home is busier and there are no sidewalks.  As they get more familiar with bike safety, that will change.

Then today was our big outing to Michigan Adventure!  Michigan Adventure is an amusement park just north of Muskegon.  It was the second time our kids have been there.  The last time we did a vacation to Michigan (which I believe was four years ago) we did a trip here. There are many memories of this amusement park.  As my niece and I were waiting for my sister and my kids to exit one of the roller coasters, we counted the number of times we had been to Michigan Adventure.  I think this was my tenth visit!  Twice in junior high, three times in college, three times as a youth leader, and once with my own kids four years ago.

My son went on his very first upside down roller coaster--The Corkscrew.  The ride is only about a minute long but you go upside down several times.  This roller coaster has been around for awhile--I remember riding it as a kid in 1989.  My son was really worried about getting sick, but he loved it.  My youngest and niece waited for the front row and are pictured above.

These flying things are so fun.  This forty year old body cannot jump to another ride after riding a jerky upside down roller coaster. So I sat out.  Unfortunately this ride started to make my sister sick.  I felt like we had to tag team all day with riding with kids.  We no longer have those twenty year old bodies that went on roller coaster rides simultaneously all day long.

The Thunderhawk is a newer roller coaster where the track is above the train.  Your feet are dangling and you are strapped into a harness.  We could not go on it last time because our younger kids did not fit the height requirement.  Of my three children--one decided not to ride, one rode and did not really care for it, and one loved it and wanted to go again!  Which one loved it and wanted to go again?  That would be the youngest--the thrill seeking seven year old who does not seem to be afraid of roller coasters.

We also spent a couple hours in the water park which was probably my favorite part of the day.  We went on several tube slides, raced down the old fashioned speed slides (which are still so scary to me!) and relaxed on the lazy river.  I still don't like the water slides that are in the complete darkness--I need to see where I am going!  The kids seem to love these the most.

 My sister played this game where the game attendant had to guess her age.  She was four years off!  So she won a stuffed pig.

The kids kept saying over and over how much fun the day was.  It was a special day to share with my kids, my sister and her daughter (her son unfortunately could not come due to soccer practice).  It reminded me of previous childhood trips to amusement parks with my mom, her sister, and my cousins.  I am hoping my kids are so tired they will crash and sleep at least until 8:30 AM.

My oldest and her cousin built this fun little fort in the basement they have been sleeping in.  It is indoor glamping at its best.  She has been thankful to have this quality time with her cousin.